


Protecting You From Myself

by ChibiTabatha



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Emotionally Constipated Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Geraskier Week, M/M, Mild Injury, Protection, Soft Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Soft Jaskier | Dandelion, Soft Yennefer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:09:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22809928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChibiTabatha/pseuds/ChibiTabatha
Summary: Jaskier gets hurt and Geralt and Yennefer look after him.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 8
Kudos: 228





	Protecting You From Myself

**Author's Note:**

> Hey I wrote this days ago. Haha, Whoops. Enjoy!

"Geralt, this hardly seems necessary." The bard was piled under heavy furs in front of the fireplace.  
  
"You were freezing. I'm rectifying the situation. Or were you just complaining for the sake of it?" Geralt stoked the fire a little higher, before throwing another log into the flames.  
  
"We didn't have to come here," the words were hissed. As if the lady of the house wouldn't be able to hear him.  
  
"She has ingredients I need for my decoctions. It can't be helped. Besides. The bed will be nicer than any inn's cot."  
  
The bard grumbled incoherently to himself before letting out a world weary sigh. "Fine. But that doesn't mean I like it."  
  
"I can see your pet is still rather feral Geralt. You should work on raining him better," the sorceress sounded both condensing and commanding.  
  
Geralt watched his companion splutter in outrage, his blue eyes narrowing at the woman standing in the doorway. "I am no man's pet, witch."  
  
"Tell that to the baron who wintered you last season. He seems convinced you belong to him. rumor has it he even hired  _ mercenaries _ to find you and bring you home." Yennefer swept into the room with a tray in her hands. The smell of a heart stew, fresh bread, and cheese wafted from the tray.  
  
Jaskier seemed to shrink in on himself, bright blue eyes shifting to watch the flames dance in front of him. "That would explain the men I found trailing him. At least before he decided to take a nasty plunge into the river." He prodded the fire again, even as he watched the sorceress approach the human.  
  
Her purple gaze seemed to soften while Jaskier wasn't looking at her. "Come now, Shift over for your host. Don't hog all the furs now bard." She placed the tray down in front of the furs and nestled herself into them next to the cold man. Slowly drawing the tray nearer, she motioned to the bowls of stew.  
  
Both Yen and Geralt watched as shaking finger's reached for the bowl. Her smaller hand supported the dish as it was brought back to his space. "Geralt. Be a dear and check on your mare. I would hate for her to feel cold. It's been a bitter spring."  
  
The witcher frowned. Yen must have sensed something he hadn't. Something she wanted to talk to his bard in private about. Standing he nodded. "Good idea. I need to tell Roach we shan't be rid of our pest that spoils her."  
  
The sweet smile shot at him from the dark haired mage only made him feel more concerned as the bard never looked up to watch him leave.

* * *

"Look, it's just a bath. I even got you some of those oils you mentioned you liked. And the salts. Please Jaskier. Don't make me involve Geralt in this mess." He had never heard Yen talk to his bard in such a pleading tone before.  
  
"I don't want to. I don't want to see the damage done. I will be fine." Jaskier seemed far more petulant than normal. Sure they had been at Yennifer's manor for almost a week now, but everything had seemed fine. Jaskier hadn't seemed any worse for wear despite Yen's insistence they stay until the bard recovered.  
  
"Geralt may not have noticed your injuries yet, but he'll eventually notice your smell. You hardly smell good. He and I both know you like those flowery soaps and oils." The sorceress had a point. His lark only smelt of his own skin, a sharp scent of fir, rosin, and ink. Not covered up by florals.  
  
Pushing into the room seemed to halt their argument, purple and blue eyes locking onto the witcher. Tension thick in the room, Yen's smile doing nothing to ease the gnawing pit in his stomach.  
  
"Geralt, be a dear and wash your pet."  
  
The bard bristled immediately. "How  _ dare _ you. Yennefer of Vengerburg, you are truly never to be trusted."  
  
Geralt raised a brow as he watched their verbal assaults on each other. He tuned out the words completely, just listening to the angry and bitter tone of his lark, and the tired and annoyed tone of the mage.  
  
"I'd rather drown myself in the tub than have help."  
  
Those words cut through clearly. "Jaskier, stop overreacting." He leveled his gaze with the startled brunet.  
  
"I am- Why I! How dare you," he hissed.  
  
Yen rolled her eyes before throwing her hands into the air. "Congratulations, he's your problem now. I'll not have him wandering around smelling like a wet dog any longer. Tend to your bard before I throw him into the mud like the ungrateful whelp he is."  
  
In a swirl of skirts, the mage exited the men's shared quarters. "Jask-"  
  
"No Geralt. I do not want your help."  
  
"Why are you doing this?"  
  
The bard seemed to stop at that question. Hands that had previously been motioning animatedly gently grasped at his midsection. A protective pose. Geralt immediately bristled at the pose, his lark wasn't  _ afraid _ of him now was he?  
  
"I'm scared. I know Yenna is just trying to help. But I don't want you to see." He could smell the salt of unshed tears, hear the gentle waver in a usually calm and clear voice.  
  
Geralt approached the smaller man, gently running a palm alon his arm. "I promise to be gentle. You helped me bathe. It's only fair to return the favor."  
  
Jaskier turned his blue eyes up from the floor and towards Geralt with a soft smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. When the witcher turned to lead him towards the tub, he heard the soft, "I don't want to hurt you," that the bard uttered clearly to himself.

* * *

With the bard as naked as the day he was born, Geralt finally understood that uttered phrase. Normally smooth pale skin was mottled, brown and purple, green and yellow, black and blue. The worst a bright pink line across his lower back that seemed to brighten to an angry red as it made contact with the hot water.  
  
The moan that escaped from the smaller man's mouth was one of pleasure mixed with a hint of pain. Geralt immediately felt guilty for not noticing, for how he had bodily hauled the bard out of the water and over his shoulder like a sack. His body must have been battered before he found him in the water. But he refused to remove his doublet or trousers in front of him. Even when he had been buried in the furs, head resting in Yen's lap as she brushed curls of chocolate hair from his eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't want you to see the shape I was in. I knew you'd feel guilty for what happened. It was my fault though. So please Geralt. Just." A pregnant pause, he could hear the way the man's teeth scraped over his bottom lip as he worried it. "Just put it out of your mind."  
  
Geralt sighed, just as he tried his hardest to protect his lark from physical ails. His little songbird did his best to protect and heal his battered heart. He pressed a soft kiss to Jaskier's crown. "I can go make them wish they'd never taken that contract."  
  
Jaskier's laugh was wet around the edges, the sharp scent of salt brushing the edges of his senses. "No, no. I'll be fine enough to be on the road soon enough. Yenna will be pleased to have me out of her hair."  
  
Geralt hummed as he dumped a bucket of water over the man's head. Laughing as he spluttered and cursed. "She'll be happy if you listen to her and take this bath seriously."  
  
Jaskier frowned at him, but motioned to the shelf across from him. "The little green bottle. It has the chamomile oil I wanted. A few drops in the water should help immensely."  
  
The witcher stood and grabbed the bottle mentioned from the little shelf. Before turning away, his nose picked up the scent of sandalwood and salt from a small flat container. He grabbed that one as well. Opening the bath salts and pouring some into the bath almost made him smile, the bard was staring at him with wide round blue eyes. "It's what you usually use, right?"  
  
"Yes, but how?"  
  
"I recognize the smell." A soft shrug before he poured some of the oil into his hands. "Let's see your back."  
  
The water sloshed slightly as the bard shifted to expose his back. The worst of the painful pastels painting his skin seemed to be there and around his ribs. He let his hands smooth over the hurt.  
  
If The bard wasn't going to let him protect him from the hurt the usual way, with sword in hand. Then he was just going to have to find a new way to protect his little lark from the pain he was suffering through to protect him.  
  
"Next time tell me. This isn't something I want to be protected from. If you are hurt. If you are suffering. I need you to tell me."  
  
"I'm just your unwarranted travel companion Geralt. I don't want to impose on you more than I already do."  
  
"If anything happened to you while under my care. I wouldn't be the same for it."  
  
A wet hand wrapped around the back of his neck, pulling him over the bard's shoulder. "I'll try to be better. If you promise to talk to me about your heart." A soft kiss was pressed to his cheek, wet lips and hair leaving cool trails along his skin.  
  
"I won't promise you much, but I can also try."  
  
The damp fingers along his nape squeezed slightly. "Thank you, Geralt."  
  
__ Thank you for protecting the last of my heart.  
  
"Hmm."

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked this! Lemme know in the comments or come say hey over on [tumblr](https://chibitabathasloves.tumblr.com/)


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